BOSTON — It has been more than one month since the Pittsburgh Penguins (31-15-13) lost in regulation, and the team has only one regulation loss in their last 15 games. In full transparency, that stat also includes the three-week Olympic break. The Penguins have launched themselves out of the break with a 2-0-1 record and are rapidly padding their playoff position. They face the Boston Bruins (33-21-5) Tuesday at TD Garden.

The puck drops just after 7 p.m. when Garden bartender turned powerhouse anthem tenor Todd Angilly belts out one of the best national anthems in hockey.

Oddsmakers are almost assuming this will be a one-goal game. The Fanduel NHL odds have the Penguins -250 to cover the 1.5 puckline. And both teams are moving up in the Stanley Cup odds, too.

The Penguins have a seven-point lead on the Columbus Blue Jackets for a playoff spot, and according to MoneyPuck.com, have a 91% chance of reaching the postseason.

Perhaps more impressively, the Penguins are still playing without captain Sidney Crosby, who will be out for a few more weeks after suffering a lower-body injury in the Olympics.

The team claimed three of four possible points last weekend, losing in a shootout to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden Saturday, in what could best be described as an ugly performance. However, the Penguins rallied to squash the Vegas Golden Knights at home Sunday, 5-0.

Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs earned his second shutout of the season, stopping all 22 shots he faced. The Penguins submitted a suffocating defensive performance, and Vegas made more than half of their shots in the late second and third period after the game had largely been decided.

Ben Kindel staked the Penguins a 1-0 lead with a sneaky wrister through a defender’s skates in the first period. Egor Chinakhov and Justin Brazeau scored even-strength goals, and Bryan Rust and Anthony Mantha scored power-play goals in the win.

Kindel, Brazeau, and Rust also registered one assist each. Erik Karlsson had a pair of assists.

The Penguins might be the biggest surprise of the NHL season. Still, Boston was also thought to be in a transitional phase and not a playoff contender, but has risen above the difficult Atlantic Division buzzsaws to claim fifth place and the second wild-card spot, three points ahead of Columbus and two points ahead of the Washington Capitals, who have played three more games.

Like the Penguins, Boston also has a first-year head coach, Marco Sturm. The Bruins are 1-1-0 out of the break, and lost 3-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Using the traditional 95-point benchmark as a playoff spot, the Penguins need the equivalent of just 10 more wins and the Bruins the equivalent of 12 over the team’s final 23 games.

Based on Dan Muse’s goalie rotation, Stuart Skinner would be in line to start. Team USA gold medalist Jeremy Swayman is most likely for the Bruins.

How to Watch

TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh

Radio: 105.9 The X

Expected Penguins Lines

Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin

Avery Hayes-Rickard Rakell-Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha-Ben Kindel-Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Defense

Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard-Kris Letang

Ryan Shea-Connor Clifton

Goalie: Stuart Skinner, unconfirmed

Bruins Lines

Marat Khusnutdinov-Elias Lindholm-David Pastrnak

Casey Mittelstadt-Pavel Zacha-Viktor Arvidsson

Mikey Eyssimont-Fraser Minten-Morgan Geekie

Tanner Jeannot-Sean Kuraly-Mark Kastelic

Defense

Jonathan Aspirot-Charlie McAvoy

Hampus Lindholm-Mason Lohrei

Nikita Zadorov-Henri Jokiharju

Goalie: Jeremy Swayman, expected

Special Teams

Penguins power play: 26.8%, 3rd. Penguins penalty kill: 84.3%, 2nd.

Bruins power play: 26.0%, 4th. Bruins penalty kill: 76.7%, 27th.

Penguins Game Notes

The Penguins and Boston have traded wins in each of their last five games played at TD Garden (The Penguins are 2-3-0). However, Boston has won the last three games between the teams.

The Penguins have points in seven-consecutive road games (5-0-2), and have points in 14 of their last 15 games overall (10-1-4).

Rickard Rakell has 19 points (10-9-19) in 23 games played against Boston, which includes four multi-point games.

Egor Chinakhov has 10 points (7-3-10) in his last 11 games.

The Penguins have continued to be on a roll since the holiday break ended on Dec. 27, picking up points in 20 of their 23 games with a 16-3-4 record. They rank near the top of the league in multiple statistical categories:

NHL Leaders Since Dec. 25
Wins (16) T3rd
Points (36) T2nd
Points Percentage (.783) 2nd
Goals For (93) 2nd
Goals Against (51) 1st
Goals For per Game (4.04) 1st
Goals Against per Game (2.22) 1st
Penalty Kill (89.4%) 2nd

Stuart Skinner has points in 10 of his last 11 starts (8-1-2). In that stretch, he only allowed one goal in five of those 11 games, including a 1-0 loss to Boston on Jan. 11.

Tags: Boston Bruins bruins game bruins lines Penguins game Penguins lines Penguins starting goalie Pittsburgh Penguins

Categorized:Penguins Pregame